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Michael Henry

Specialty

Legal thrillers

Bio
Former lawyer, wealth manager, novel writer.
Oxford, MS
Available Now
Legal thrillers, Comedies

Some of my Scripts

C R C C C

DELBERT GETS TALL

A bullied teen with hair like cosmic antennae explodes from 4’7” to varsity phenom when a rogue TRIP faction downloads alien power into him—only to discover he’s an ‘amplifier’ whose greatest battle isn’t to get tall, but to stop his long‑lost father from weaponizing his gift.

A bullied teen with hair like cosmic antennae explodes from 4’7” to varsity phenom when a rogue TRIP faction downloads alien power into him—only to discover he’s an ‘amplifier’ whose greatest battle isn’t to get tall, but to stop his long‑lost father from weaponizing his gift.

Audience Emotional Journey
Writing Craft Metrics

UNIQUE SELLING POINT

DELBERT GETS TALL occupies a rare and commercially appealing intersection of the sports underdog movie, the coming-of-age story, and the alien hybrid sci-fi comedy — all anchored by an irresistibly original protagonist. Unlike most family sci-fi films, the 'alien' element is not about invasion or spectacle but about identity, belonging, and self-worth. Delbert's journey from bullied, tiny oddball to self-accepting hero resonates universally, while the TRIP mythology, DELEVISION visual conceit, and ensemble of quirky powered characters offer rich franchise potential. The script's willingness to blend Broadway show tunes, Ethel Merman, LeBron James cameos, and snowball-firing buttocks with genuine emotional beats about adoption, family, and first love gives it a genuinely distinctive comedic voice.

STANDOUT FEATURES

  • Unique Hook: The protagonist discovers he is half-alien, which opens up a world of possibilities and conflicts.
  • Major Twist: Delbert learns that his father is a villain and that his abilities are tied to a larger cosmic struggle.
  • Innovative Ideas: The use of a SPAZMAT device that enhances abilities and the concept of TRIPs with unique powers.

WRITER'S NOTE

As a 5'10 point guard on my college basketball team, I had a recurring dream that I woke up one morning and was 6'6". DELBERT GETS TALL was the result.

C C P C C

FINDING ISHMAEL

When an American oilman’s girlfriend is abducted in Jerusalem, he teams with an unassuming Israeli driver with a covert past to trade a forged ancient scroll at the Western Wall and race through riots and tunnels to outwit sectarian killers—and the financier stoking the chaos.

When an American oilman’s girlfriend is abducted in Jerusalem, he teams with an unassuming Israeli driver with a covert past to trade a forged ancient scroll at the Western Wall and race through riots and tunnels to outwit sectarian killers—and the financier stoking the chaos.

Audience Emotional Journey
Writing Craft Metrics

UNIQUE SELLING POINT

FINDING ISHMAEL distinguishes itself from other geopolitical thrillers by grounding its world-shaking MacGuffin — an ancient scroll that could delegitimize Islam's claim to the Holy Land — in the lived, textured reality of modern Jerusalem. Unlike THE DA VINCI CODE, which keeps its protagonist at arm's length from genuine personal stakes, this script makes the search for the scroll inseparable from a deeply personal rescue mission. The script's willingness to engage seriously with Jewish history, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the psychology of religious zealotry gives it intellectual heft rarely found in the genre. The Menachem character — a Mossad-connected driver with a secret past — is a genuinely original creation, and the script's authentic Israeli setting, from the Mahane Yehuda market to the Western Wall tunnels, provides a rich and cinematic backdrop.

STANDOUT FEATURES

  • Unique Hook: The intertwining of a romantic quest with a historical artifact that has significant cultural implications.
  • Major Twist: The revelation of the scroll's authenticity and its implications for religious and political tensions.
  • Distinctive Setting: The use of real locations in Israel and Palestine, providing authenticity and a rich backdrop for the story.

WRITER'S NOTE

I spent some time in Israel and while my guide was explaining the story of Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael and wondered "what if Hagar were already pregnant when she lay with Abraham?"

C C P C C

THE RHYTHM CLUB

In 1940 Natchez, a newly minted Black doctor returns home to reclaim the woman he loves, only to confront a corrupt physician, a ruthless sheriff, and a catastrophic nightclub fire that forces him to choose between justice and survival.

In 1940 Natchez, a newly minted Black doctor returns home to reclaim the woman he loves, only to confront a corrupt physician, a ruthless sheriff, and a catastrophic nightclub fire that forces him to choose between justice and survival.

Audience Emotional Journey
Writing Craft Metrics

UNIQUE SELLING POINT

THE RHYTHM CLUB dramatizes one of the deadliest and most forgotten disasters in African American history—the 1940 Natchez Rhythm Club fire that killed over 200 Black Americans—through the lens of a returning Black physician navigating love, corruption, and systemic racism in the Jim Crow South. Unlike most period dramas about race in the South, this script centers Black professional ambition and community life rather than victimhood, offering a rich, textured portrait of a thriving Black social world on the eve of its destruction. The combination of a real historical tragedy, a morally complex antagonist within the Black community itself, and a love story with genuine stakes gives the script a distinctive emotional and political resonance that sets it apart from conventional civil rights narratives.

STANDOUT FEATURES

  • Unique Hook: The intertwining of personal and social conflicts against the backdrop of 1940s Mississippi, highlighting racial tensions and personal struggles.
  • Plot Twist: The revelation of Dr. Holman's exploitation of Rose and the implications of her pregnancy, which adds layers to the character dynamics.
  • Distinctive Setting: The historical context of Natchez, Mississippi, during a time of significant racial and social upheaval, providing a rich backdrop for the narrative.

WRITER'S NOTE

I lived in Natchez, MS and saw a monument on the MS river bluff dedicated to the 203 victims of the Rhythm Club fire. I created fictional characters and events leading up to the 2d most lethal fire event in the history of the U.S.

C C C C C

THREE BAD YEARS

In a Mississippi Delta town choking under rain and resentment, a hard-drinking DA’s tough stance on a petty theft ignites a protest that ends in arson—and his affair with a store owner’s daughter-in-law may cost him the case, his career, and the truth about a child’s death three years prior.

In a Mississippi Delta town choking under rain and resentment, a hard-drinking DA’s tough stance on a petty theft ignites a protest that ends in arson—and his affair with a store owner’s daughter-in-law may cost him the case, his career, and the truth about a child’s death three years prior.

Audience Emotional Journey
Writing Craft Metrics

UNIQUE SELLING POINT

THREE BAD YEARS distinguishes itself by embedding a noir-style femme fatale murder mystery within an authentically rendered Mississippi Delta community grappling with racial inequality, institutional corruption, and the long shadow of the Civil Rights era. Unlike courtroom procedurals that treat race as backdrop, this script makes the intersection of race, class, and justice its central dramatic engine. The protagonist is not a hero but a compromised, drinking, morally adrift DA who is simultaneously the investigator and a suspect—a genuinely unusual narrative position. The script's willingness to implicate its own lead character in the crime he is prosecuting, and to let a Black grand jury refuse to indict based on their own moral calculus, gives it a rare authenticity and unpredictability.

STANDOUT FEATURES

  • Unique Hook: The intertwining of personal relationships with legal proceedings, creating a complex narrative that explores moral dilemmas.
  • Plot Twist: The revelation of Mary Margaret's past and her connection to the events surrounding Little Al's death, which complicates the legal case.
  • Distinctive Setting: The rural Southern backdrop of Mississippi, which adds authenticity and depth to the story's themes of race and justice.

WRITER'S NOTE

I was an elected D.A. in a small southern town and THREE BAD YEARS is the heavily influenced by my 22 years of trying murder cases.